


baby it's cold outside

by vonseal



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Crushes, First Kiss, First Time, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 05:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28701717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vonseal/pseuds/vonseal
Summary: jinwoo liked myungjun. jinwoo had a crush on myungjun. jinwoo wanted to date myungjun.myungjun falls into a pond.
Relationships: Kim Myungjun | MJ/Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	baby it's cold outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sunshinemyungjun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinemyungjun/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO [DANI!](https://twitter.com/asuterou) here is that steaming hot plate of myungjin u requested, my dearest love. it's actually garbage but it's garbage i tried to assemble into a masterpiece just for you. hope it gives u some warm fuzzies inside and makes your birthday all the more special!!!

“My roommate’s gonna be going home for the winter break,” Myungjun mentioned one evening as he walked with Jinwoo back to the dorms.

Jinwoo nodded his head, familiar with the ordeal. “So’s mine,” he replied.

Myungjun raised his eyebrows and stared at Jinwoo for a few seconds before looking away, back down the sparsely-lit paths to the college dorms.

Jinwoo had known Myungjun for a very long time. They’d grown up together, neighbors and best friends. They had been together through thick and thin; they’d lost their baby teeth together, they’d gone on double dates during school dances, they’d graduated together, and they’d chosen the same college. Jinwoo knew Myungjun better than anyone did, and so he also knew the look that Myungjun had given him.

“What do you want, Jun?”

“What makes you think I want something?”

“You’re giving me those eyes.”

“What eyes?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“Ah, Jinwoo.” Myungjun clicked his tongue up against the roof of his mouth and corrected, “I’m not _playing_. This is who I am.”

“A dumbass?”

“Yup. You ought to know this by now.” Myungjun grinned widely and shrugged his shoulders in response to Jinwoo rolling his eyes. “But I was waiting to see if you would ask me to, like, come over and hang out with you since your roommate will be gone, and my roommate will be gone, and I think it makes sense that we spend Christmas together.”

Jinwoo frowned a bit and asked, “Are you still refusing to go home for Christmas?”

Family life was sometimes difficult for Myungjun. His mother was a darling, caring woman. His father, however, was more domineering and constantly imposed his views onto Myungjun, who was saddled with the weight of his father’s countless expectations. _Go into college for science. Marry a well-to-do girl. Settle down and have children. Make lots of money._

Instead, Myungjun had enrolled in theater courses, he was confidently gay, he didn’t want children, and he was quite accepting of only earning the minimum to just get by. He had chosen everything his father was against, and while Jinwoo knew his father would never harm Myungjun nor cast him aside, things were icy between them. He wouldn’t go home for Christmas, it seemed, and when he cleared his throat and looked away, Jinwoo offered him a comforting smile.

“Well, if it helps, I’m not going home for Christmas, either. Mom and Dad have decided to go on a cruise and leave me behind.”

Myungjun scoffed. “What a load of bullshit. Why didn’t they invite us?”

“Us?” Jinwoo smirked and shoved his friend’s shoulder. “I’m their son, you idiot. You aren’t. Why would they invite _you?_ ”

“Dude, your parents adore me!” Myungjun exclaimed. He wasn’t wrong; Jinwoo’s parents treated Myungjun as if he was a second son, the brother Jinwoo never had. He was always welcome in the house, at any hour of any day. Jinwoo didn’t mind the affection his parents felt toward Myungjun most of the time, but when they gave Myungjun the spare key so he could come inside whenever he wanted, Jinwoo realized the love had gone too far. Myungjun often crept into the house at three in the morning, whereupon he would wake Jinwoo up and drunkenly exclaim, _I’m so fucking wasted and also I think I made out with an actor, oops._

Jinwoo tried to steal Myungjun’s key, but anytime he managed to do so, Myungjun would just complain to Jinwoo’s parents, and then there would be a new key.

Needless to say, Jinwoo couldn’t deny Myungjun’s statement and he nodded his head in resignation. “They do,” he agreed. “For some reason, they do.”

“For _some_ reason?” Myungjun scoffed. “Oh, please. I’m a catch, you know.”

“Hm.”

“I bet your parents often think, _now why the hell did we give birth to Jinwoo and not to Myungjun?_ It’s a shame, really, that they created an offspring so…” He gestured at Jinwoo’s body.

Jinwoo scoffed. “Gee, thanks. You’re really buttering me up so you can stay at my place, aren’t you?”

“I’m doing my best to.” They came upon the dorms, but before heading in, Myungjun grabbed Jinwoo’s arm and tried his luck once more. “C’mon! It’ll be a blast! I’ll bring the booze and you supply us with some food. We’ll sing Christmas carols and eat until we burst and exchange gifts like lovers are supposed to do.”

Jinwoo supposed he had nothing better to do. With his roommate gone and his parents away, he would spend Christmas alone otherwise. Besides, it wasn’t as if he and Myungjun had actually spent a Christmas apart since they were children. He had to agree, for both the sake of tradition and their deep friendship.

“Fine,” he muttered, acting as if Myungjun was asking the world of him. Myungjun cheered and Jinwoo added, “But bring actual _good_ booze. None of that cheap shit you like.”

Myungjun, too excited to care much about spending money, gave Jinwoo a thumbs-up, and beamed at him. “Sure thing! You’re the best, Jinnie!”

Jinwoo tried to ignore the weird skip of his heartbeat. 

**❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉**

His heart had been a little messed up for a few years now.

It all started when Myungjun one day burst into Jinwoo’s dorm room and exclaimed, “I’m gonna hang out here for a bit!”

Jinwoo and his roommate, Minhyuk, had hardly looked up from their video game. Myungjun often visited, and both had grown used to it (or, rather, Minhyuk had grown used to it -- Jinwoo already was).

But when he locked the door behind him, Jinwoo became concerned.

“Is there something going on out there we should be aware of?” he asked, pausing the game. Minhyuk cursed; he was in the middle of a combo move, it seemed.

Myungjun laughed and shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno. Probably not. Just this guy.”

“What did you do _this_ time?” Minhyuk asked, tapping his fingers against his controller, as if that would make the game unpause faster.

“I hooked up with this guy I met at a party,” Myungjun explained, flopping over on Jinwoo’s bed, “and now he somehow thinks we’re destined to be together. So gross. It was just a quick lay, you know? Nothing serious. I thought he knew that. Anyway, he found my dorm and I told him I was gonna go take a piss and now I’m going to stay here until midnight.”

Jinwoo blinked. Myungjun had always been the more promiscuous of the two. While Jinwoo wanted to take things slow (and, embarrassingly for a college student, perhaps save himself for a serious relationship), Myungjun had lost his virginity at age sixteen and seemed in no hurry to slow down his slew of romantic partners. Jinwoo wasn’t even sure how he found so many gay people, but he managed. 

Whatever the case, Jinwoo was used to this sort of thing. He was used to Myungjun sleeping with other guys and running from them and giggling to Jinwoo about it all. He had never felt anything but amusement at Myungjun’s ridiculous love life. 

So then why did he now feel so _jealous?_

He knew that was the feeling settling deep within his chest. He knew that it was jealousy brewing in the depths of his stomach and heart, causing his chest to ache and his head to hurt. But he wasn’t sure why he felt jealous. He shouldn’t; Myungjun was still his best friend, no matter how many boyfriends he had rifled through. Myungjun had been by his side through it all.

He shouldn’t feel jealous.

But he did.

It was hard to fake a smile and it was hard to share Myungjun’s amusement with the situation. He brooded a bit instead and chose to focus his efforts on the video game. Myungjun, all too familiar with Jinwoo’s moods, had asked, “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Jinwoo muttered.

“You don’t seem fine.”

Jinwoo sighed. Minhyuk beat him in the game yet again, and he answered, “I’m just...sick, I think. I feel off.”

Myungjun’s expression morphed into that of concern, but Minhyuk raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

Jinwoo grit his teeth and shot Minhyuk the briefest of glances, begging his roommate to say nothing.

Fortunately, Minhyuk kept his mouth shut, and Myungjun fretted over Jinwoo all night long. He had tended to Jinwoo’s every need and had even laid down beside him as night fell.

Jinwoo reminded him, “Didn’t you say you should go back to your dorm around midnight? He’ll be gone then, won’t he?”

Myungjun nodded his head, but made no move to get up. Instead, he curled closer to Jinwoo’s stiff form and mumbled, “But I’d rather stay here and make sure my Jinnie is alright.”

Jinwoo’s heart began skipping beats right at that moment.

He liked Myungjun.

He had a crush on Myungjun.

He wanted to date Myungjun.

And so began all of his troubles and woes.

**❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉**

Christmas came and went with very little fanfare. Myungjun had come to spend the week and they played video games well into the night before finally breaking into Myungjun’s not-so-fancy stash of alcohol. At some point, their parents had called, sending them warm wishes for the season. Myungjun had answered his rather begrudgingly, but seemed satisfied enough once the call was over with.

It started to snow two days after Christmas. Myungjun forced Jinwoo out in the cold where they pelted each other with snowballs and created an army of snowmen. It was all great fun, and Jinwoo almost forgot how dreadfully in love with Myungjun he was.

But Myungjun was clearly determined to nestle his way further into Jinwoo’s heart, for on the fourth morning of Myungjun’s visit, Jinwoo awoke to Myungjun sprawled out over his body as if he belonged in Jinwoo’s embrace.

“What’re you doing?” Jinwoo asked in lieu of a greeting.

Myungjun was bundled up in winter clothes and grinning at Jinwoo, his cheeks rosy and his eyes bright. It was too early in the morning to look so handsome, and Jinwoo found himself both jealous and utterly enthralled. 

“It’s _really_ cold out there right now,” Myungjun pointed out. “And it snowed even more.”

“So?” Jinwoo rolled over, kneeing Myungjun in his abdomen. 

Myungjun only gave himself a moment to recover from the quick, sharp pain before he shook Jinwoo’s body. “Let’s go take a walk! I gotta take pictures for my social media pages.”

“How old are we?” Jinwoo mumbled. 

“What does that matter?”

“Only kids do that.”

Myungjun snorted. “ _Please_ ,” he fussed, “you _always_ post shit to your Instagram.”

“Yeah, but that’s, like, shoes and stuff. Clothes.”

“And _this_ is a beautiful winter wonderland with pretty trees and birds hopping around in the snow -- it’s something that you should document and upload.”

Myungjun made a good point; it wasn’t as if Jinwoo wasn’t already obsessed with updating his own social media pages. Besides, his heart began to flutter with the idea of walking arm-in-arm with Myungjun down a snowy landscape. He could gently brush snowflakes off Myungjun’s eyelashes, and Myungjun would kiss his nose and giggle ever-so-sweetly as he was prone to.

Jinwoo was quick to push Myungjun aside and exclaim, “Get out, I gotta change.”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to escape the allure of snow!” Myungjun teased, scurrying off of Jinwoo’s bed. “I’ll meet you in the lobby, alright? Hurry up, Jinnie, before the sun comes out and all the snow melts!”

So Jinwoo dressed, excitement brewing within his heart. He tripped into his jeans and yanked on a sweater and grabbed his most fashionable coat in an attempt to impress a man who had seen him at his worst. When he finished, he looked at himself in the mirror and combed down his hair before pulling a beanie down over his ears.

When he finished, he hurried outside to meet Myungjun, who was impatiently rolling up giant snowballs and sprinkling them with dead leaves.

“Oh, finally,” he mumbled when Jinwoo closed the door to the dormitory. “I should’ve expected you to take your time, I guess.”

Jinwoo pouted. “I didn’t think I took that long. Besides, you said you’d meet me in the lobby. You didn’t have to wait out here.”

“Yeah, but I got _bored!_ ” Myungjun whined. He gestured around them and exclaimed, “Look at this! It’s so pretty, isn’t it?”

And it truly was. The trees were bare with only snow to cover them. The ground was soft and white. The entire world felt as if it had become encased within an expensive snowglobe, and Jinwoo admired the scenery around him as Myungjun snapped a few photos.

“Now,” Myungjun stated once he had uploaded the necessary amount of photos to various social media pages, “let’s go explore the campus.”

“Explore?” Jinwoo repeated. 

“Yeah, just to see how it looks covered in snow.”

Jinwoo rolled his eyes, even though he wanted to drag Myungjun off in a hurry. “We saw what it looked like last year.”

“Yes, true, but now we can see what it looks like _this_ year. Besides, it’s snowing a lot more now than it has before.”

He wasn’t wrong. The snow was falling quickly to the ground with no hesitation. Jinwoo fully expected at least five inches of snow before the day was over.

Myungjun began to trudge forward, as if realizing he had won the small argument. There was no choice but to follow, and Jinwoo did so quite willingly.

He hoped he could somehow convince Myungjun to take a selfie with him. Just for his own sake.

**❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉**

“I didn’t know there was a pond out here!” Myungjun gasped, staring out at the frozen water with wonder shining in his gaze. “Jinwoo, did you know about the pond?”

Jinwoo shrugged his shoulders. He had definitely _heard_ talk about a pond somewhere on the campus, but he had never felt the need to go out searching for it. It was a tiny thing, most of his classmates had mentioned, with only a handful of fish and sometimes a few ducks. It was nothing worth getting excited over.

And, yet, here was Myungjun getting excited over it.

“It’s frozen solid, too,” Myungjun commented, kneeling on the bank and rapping at the ice with his gloved knuckles. 

“That’s not too surprising,” Jinwoo replied. “I mean, it’s below freezing right now.”

Myungjun looked around the pond with admiration blooming in his gaze. “It’s so cool,” he murmured. “How often do you come across a pond _this_ frozen?”

Jinwoo couldn’t say he had seen many ponds in such a shape as this one. Usually a deep freeze would only cover the surface of smaller bodies of water, such as puddles or tiny creeks. This pond, however, seemed as if the ice was rather thick.

Sure enough, Myungjun put a hand on the ice and leaned forward, pushing some of his weight onto it. The frozen pond didn’t move at all.

“It’s safe,” Myungjun declared, standing back up again.

Jinwoo blinked. Surely there was a conversation somewhere in there he had missed. “Safe?” he repeated. “What’s safe?”

“The pond.”

“Safe for _what?_ ”

Myungjun rolled his eyes and shot Jinwoo a look of exasperation. “For skating on, obviously,” he replied. “I don’t have any ice skates, but we can still slide around with our shoes on. I’ve seen it done before in movies.”

Jinwoo found himself rather bewildered with the sudden turn of events. They found a frozen pond and Myungjun wanted to...slide on it?

Myungjun took a tentative step forward, and Jinwoo’s eyes widened. He was actually going to do it? He was actually going to walk on a frozen pond? It seemed highly unsafe, and Jinwoo wondered if Myungjun had thought through his plan at all.

Oh, who was he kidding? It was _Myungjun_. Of course he hadn’t thought anything through.

“Jun,” he warned, reaching a hand out to grab at Myungjun’s arm. “Let’s just...look at the pond from a further distance.”

“Sounds safe,” Myungjun commented. Jinwoo nodded his head empathetically, and with that, Myungjun snatched his arm away from Jinwoo’s hold. “Sounds _boring_.”

Jinwoo groaned. “Don’t be an asshole. I don’t want you falling in!”

Myungjun shuffled forward. The ice held. “I won’t fall in,” he assured, grinning widely as he spun to face Jinwoo. “Look! Like I told you, it’s frozen solid!”

He stomped his foot down, as if to prove his point. The ice still held, but Jinwoo heard a small crack, and he gestured frantically to his side.

“Get off the ice,” he ordered. “Come on! It’s gonna break if you keep--”

“Just relax!” Myungjun whined. “Geez, you're such a worrywart.”

Jinwoo grit his teeth down. He did love Myungjun, he truly did, but he found it _infuriating_ how Myungjun never listened to a word he said. 

“Didn’t you hear the ice crack?”

“That wasn’t a crack. It’s just, like, groaning a bit. Ice does that sometimes.” Myungjun continued forth. He was only a few steps away from Jinwoo now, but definitely far enough from the safety of the bank that Jinwoo found his concern getting stronger.

“It wasn’t -- that’s not something that _happens_ \-- Myungjun, please don’t, it’s gonna break if--”

Myungjun took one more step, and that’s when Jinwoo’s fears came true. His foot broke through a thin patch of ice, and with his foot went his entire body. The ice gave way and Myungjun floundered in the freezing water, weighed down by his heavy winter clothes.

Jinwoo yelped and moved as close as he could get without further breaking the ice. “Grab my hand!” he exclaimed, kneeling on the wet ground and holding out both of his hands.

Myungjun sputtered, teeth already chattering in the cold. “I-I-I can st-still touch th-the bottom!” he exclaimed. He weakly tried to break some of the ice blocking his path to land, but he was shaking too much to do anything of substance.

So Jinwoo cursed, rolled his eyes, and broke it himself, leaning on his backside and using all the strength he could muster to bring his foot down on the rest of the ice. He had to do it a few times before finally Myungjun could push the blocks aside and wade his way back to shore, where he climbed up on trembling limbs.

Jinwoo pulled him the rest of the way, making sure his entire body was out of the water before checking over his friend for any bumps or scrapes. Fortunately, Myungjun wasn’t bleeding and he seemed relatively intact, save for any possible hypothermia he was currently suffering.

“Co-Cold,” he murmured, wrapping wet arms around an equally wet body.

Jinwoo was wet, too, both from breaking the ice and having to pull Myungjun to land. He grit his teeth down to stop from shivering and nudged Myungjun. 

“Let’s get back to my dorm,” he ordered. “We can take hot showers and curl up under blankets.”

Myungjun nodded his head. Or, rather, he _probably_ nodded his head, though with all of the shivers and trembles going through his body, Jinwoo found it difficult to tell. 

There wasn’t much time to wonder about it, however. Myungjun was freezing, and to ensure his condition didn’t worsen, Jinwoo forced him to his feet and they began to walk. Myungjun’s arm was slung over Jinwoo’s shoulder, effectively soaking the both of them, and soon enough, Jinwoo began to experience the same chills as Myungjun.

“Fuck you,” he hissed, shuffling forward through the snow and wishing that he had fallen in love with a smarter individual. 

Myungjun sniffled and asked, “Why?”

“Why?” Jinwoo repeated, incredulous. “Look at us, you moron.”

“We’re wet.”

“Exactly. We’re wet and it’s your fault.”

Though his words were harsh, Jinwoo treated Myungjun gently. He made certain not to tug him too harshly, and he took his time, going as slow as Myungjun needed to go. He patted at his face in an effort to warm him up, too, though Myungjun had recoiled and shook his head, stammering out another, “Cold,” before gesturing toward Jinwoo’s soaked gloves.

They made it to the dormitory with no more issues. The heat as they entered the lobby was very much welcomed, and Jinwoo longed to rid himself of their wet clothes. They took the stairs up to Jinwoo’s third-story room, and once nestled away inside, Jinwoo began ridding Myungjun of his coat and shirt.

“Ho-Hold on,” Myungjun said, stopping Jinwoo. “What the hell are you do-doing?”

“Taking your clothes off.” Jinwoo thought it was obvious, but he noticed Myungjun looked rather confused. “Is th-there something wrong?”

“I can...I can do it,” Myungjun assured him, moving away from Jinwoo’s hands. Jinwoo looked Myungjun over with narrowed eyes, taking in his red nose and cheeks, his averted gaze, and his fumbling fingers.

He supposed most of that could be explained through a simple answer of, _he’s cold_ , but something about Myungjun’s demeanor seemed different from just being _cold_. He seemed...shy.

“Are you embarrassed?” Jinwoo asked, pulling his wet gloves off his hands.

Myungjun shook his head as his frozen fingers did their best to pull up the long-sleeved shirt he wore underneath his coat. He couldn’t get a good grasp, however, and Jinwoo watched him struggle pathetically for a few seconds.

“God,” he finally muttered, grabbing at Myungjun’s hands. He huffed on them, hopeful his warm breath would help Myungjun’s joints loosen up some.

Myungjun still shivered and shook. It was obvious that he would need help until his body warmed up more, whenever that might be. 

“I d-don’t need hel-help,” Myungjun stammered.

Jinwoo raised his eyebrows and smiled. “You sure?” he teased. “You can’t even get a grip on your shirt.”

Myungjun scowled, then gave a small sniffle. “It’s...I-I mean, I just…” 

“I’ll do it,” Jinwoo announced, and before Myungjun could protest, Jinwoo yanked the shirt up over Myungjun’s head and tossed it aside. Myungjun gave a small yelp as the damp clothing left his body. He curled his arms around his stomach, trying his best to shy away from Jinwoo’s determined hands.

“Pants,” Jinwoo ordered.

Myungjun’s eyes widened. “Pants?”

“Take off your pants. I’ll ge-get you some of mine.”

Myungjun grit his teeth down. “You’re...cold, too.”

“Yeah.” Jinwoo’s clothes were damp, and though he wasn’t as soaked as Myungjun was, he definitely still felt the chill gripping him. He, too, wanted to change, so he added, “But I’ll only take off my clothes when you do. So hurry u-up.”

It seemed Myungjun wanted to complain a bit further, but when he noticed Jinwoo shaking, he sprung into action. He kicked his boots off his feet and then worked on unbuttoning his pants. Jinwoo wanted to offer more help, but that seemed a bit _much_. His face flushed with the idea of taking Myungjun’s pants off for him -- yes, that was much too intimate, wasn’t it?

Instead, he busied himself with pulling out fresh clothes for Myungjun. He passed them over when Myungjun confirmed he was stripped clean of his wet clothes, then worked on his own jacket and shirt.

“S-So,” he managed to get out, “I haven’t heard a-an apology yet.”

Myungjun was struggling with his clothes a bit more, but with the heat coming through the vents and the absence of his wet clothes, he was able to slowly pull everything on.

“I’m so-sorry,” Myungjun muttered.

Jinwoo tossed his own clothes in a pile before pulling on a new pair of sweats, relishing in the comforting warmth they provided. 

“Thought...thought the ice wa-was solid.”

“A stupid thought.”

“I’m a dumbass.”

“You really are.” Jinwoo was decent, and he glanced behind him. Myungjun, too, was finally clothed, and still he shook, tremors rippling through his body over and over again.

They still needed to warm up, and so Jinwoo searched for a towel. His roommate had left a clean batch, fortunately, and Jinwoo draped one over Myungjun’s head. He ruffled at his friend’s hair for a bit in an attempt to dry him.

Myungjun wouldn’t look at him.

“What’s up?” Jinwoo asked, doing his best to hide a smile. “You feel bad for what you di-did?”

“Sorta. Not really.”

“Of course not.”

“I just…” Myungjun cleared his throat but chose not to finish that sentence. Instead, he gently grasped Jinwoo’s wrist, stopping his movement, and took the towel away. “I can do this.”

“I don’t mind. You’re still cold.”

“S-So are you.”

“I’m not the one who fell into a frozen pond.” Jinwoo yanked the towel away from Myungjun again and continued to dry his friend.

Myungjun sniffled and rubbed at his red nose. “I just...I think...I dunno.”

“You dunno _what?_ ”

With a small sigh, Myungjun answered with his own question. “You know when...when you face a life-or-death si-situation, and you think o-of all the things you _should_ have done?”

Jinwoo rolled his eyes. “Trust me, that wasn’t a life-or-death situation. Your feet touched the bottom. You were super close to the bank. You were _fine_.”

“It was cold!” Myungjun countered. “Thought I’d fuck-fucking _die_.”

“Hm.”

“But I thought...I thought about, um, all the-the things I should’ve done or said, you know? Shit like that. Like, _man I wish I would’ve said this before I died_.”

Jinwoo deemed Myungjun’s hair dry enough. He draped the towel around Myungjun’s neck and then gestured toward his bed. “Let’s curl up underneath the blankets first,” he suggested. “We’ll warm up and then talk about your regrets.”

“It’d…” Myungjun squeezed his eyes shut briefly and then opened them. He looked far more serious than he had in quite a long time, and Jinwoo hesitated for a few seconds.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned for his friend. His regrets must really be eating away at him. Something was clearly amiss. Something had changed in Myungjun’s heart.

“My...my regret is…” Myungjun’s face began to flush pink, the blood slowly rushing past his cheeks and to his ears. Jinwoo stared at Myungjun in bewilderment.

“Jinwoo, we-we...we never have kissed.”

That was unexpected.

“Sorry, what?” Jinwoo asked.

Myungjun looked frantic and worried. “I...I-I mean, I’ve never...I don’t have anyone I love, except for you, an-and I thought that, while I was drowning in sub-zero temperature, uninhabitable waters, I-I thought that it was so fucking stupid tha-that I’ve liked you this long an-and we never...I never made an effort.”

There was a silence that stretched between the two of them. Jinwoo’s eyes were wide as he stared at Myungjun, unmoving, unsure.

“I know...I know you do-don’t feel the same, but I just thought...I should te-tell you. You know. In case I almost-sorta-maybe die again.”

“Tell me what?” Jinwoo asked.

He thought...well, he _hoped_ it was a confession. Wouldn’t that be perfect? Wouldn’t that be all he’d ever dreamed of? His one true love, the man he’d adored for years and years, confessing to him. They would kiss and date and marry and live happily ever after. It was a dream come true. It was a fairytale.

But fairytales weren’t real. Surely Jinwoo must have been mistaken.

Myungjun wet his lips and swallowed thickly. “I wa-wanna...date you.”

Jinwoo wanted to yell and cheer and scream and cry, all at once. Instead, the only thing to leave his mouth was yet another stupid question. “What?”

“I don’t expect you to re-return my feelings. I just...thought y-you should know.” Myungjun cupped his hands around his mouth and huffed. He bounced slightly on the balls of his feet, then said, voice muffled from behind his hands, “Just for-forget it. It’s not important. I’ll forget it, too, an-and we can remain friends, right?”

“I’m…” Jinwoo didn’t know quite what to say. He gestured between the two of them, though, and asked, “You like me?”

“Yeah.”

“Like...you _like_ like me? As more th-than a friend?”

Myungjun, sheepish, replied, “Who’s the dumbass now, Jinwoo? Yes, I _like_ like you, as more than a friend, but I also like you _as_ a friend and we can just focus on that, since--”

“You want to kiss me?”

Myungjun blinked. “I...I mean, yeah. I’d like to. But I won’t if it--”

“So…” Jinwoo’s mind needed time to process all it had learned. “I’m...we’re both...we like each other.”

It was not a question, but rather a statement. Still, Jinwoo longed for confirmation, and he eagerly awaited Myungjun’s answer.

Now it was Myungjun’s turn to look bewildered, though, and he asked, “ _We?_ ”

“Huh?”

“You...you said _we_ like each other? I like you. Does...do you mean that _you_ like me?”

He probably should’ve said that first, and so he nodded his head frantically. “I like you.”

Myungjun gaped at him briefly. “You...you like me,” he confirmed.

“I like you.”

“Seriously?”

“I like you. I like you so much. _God_ , Myungjun, I fucking _like_ you.”

It seemed as if he had rendered Myungjun speechless; a difficult task to do, really, and Jinwoo had to applaud himself on the sudden stretch of silence. He offered Myungjun a small smile as his best friend did his best to work out the thoughts in his mind.

Finally, Myungjun gestured between the two of them with a shaky hand. “So...so this is…?”

“This is…?” Jinwoo repeated, not quite sure where Myungjun was taking his next sentence.

“A mutual confession?” Myungjun continued, eyes searching for an answer. “Requited feelings? The same sort of love?”

Jinwoo’s heart pounded in his chest and he eagerly nodded his head for a second time. “Love,” he confirmed. “I’m…”

Myungjun blinked. “Love?”

“ _You_ said love, moron.”

“I...I did. I’m…” He cleared his throat. “Jinwoo, do you love me?”

It was such a difficult question to answer. Of course, in Jinwoo’s heart, he found that he did love Myungjun. He very much loved Myungjun. He would love Myungjun to the ends of the earth, and then back again. He would love Myungjun to his dying days, and into the afterlife they would undoubtedly share together. But how could he convince Myungjun of this love? And how could he be so certain Myungjun would love him back the same way? Myungjun admitted to _liking_ him, to having a crush. Would he also admit, then, to being in love?

But before Jinwoo could answer anything, Myungjun said, “Because I love you.”

That was all Jinwoo needed to close the distance between them, gather a shivering Myungjun up in his arms, and kiss him.

Their kiss was slow and languid. Jinwoo took his time mapping out Myungjun’s lips with his own. They were soft -- god, they were so soft. They fit in perfectly against Jinwoo’s, too, and Jinwoo wondered if they had been made to kiss each other. Surely they must have been, for no kiss would be this perfect otherwise.

When Jinwoo’s tongue swiped across the bottom of Myungjun’s lip, Myungjun moaned into the kiss and wrapped his own arms around Jinwoo, fingers curling tightly into Jinwoo’s shirt. 

They parted briefly and Jinwoo panted, “Is...is this alright?”

Myungjun gave a small chuckle. “Yes,” he confirmed. “Yes, yes, _yes_. In fact, it’s more than alright. And I think...I think you ought to kiss me more. Just a bit more, you know, so we can make sure--”

Jinwoo wasted no time. He kissed Myungjun and gently led them to his bed. They fell in a heap together, kissing and touching and feeling and _laughing_.

Relief blossomed in Jinwoo’s chest. Love strengthened in Jinwoo’s heart. 

They loved each other.

It was all he ever wanted.

**❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉❉**

“Your roommate might be home soon,” Myungjun whispered. “I should go.”

Jinwoo gave a small hum but he did not relinquish Myungjun. It was just as well, anyway, for Myungjun made no move to leave. They stayed as they were, wrapped up within each other, limbs tangled together and bodies splayed out. Jinwoo wondered if it would be possible to ever again part from Myungjun’s side, even for a few minutes.

“You know,” he murmured, hugging Myungjun even closer, “I think we should become roommates.”

“Why aren’t we?” Myungjun asked, burying his nose into Jinwoo’s neck.

Jinwoo scoffed. “Hell if I know.”

“Keep talking,” Myungjun urged. “Your voice is all gruff. You sound sexy.”

WIth a laugh, Jinwoo kissed the top of Myungjun’s head. “Round two?” he suggested.

“Round _two?_ ” Myungjun snorted, his breath fanning out over Jinwoo’s skin. “I think it’s round five at this point. We’ve had a lot of sex in the past few days.”

“I’m just making up for all the lost time.” Jinwoo sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. “I could’ve been doing this for months if I had said something the moment I figured out I liked you.” He pulled his head up suddenly, jostling Myungjun, and asked, “How long have you liked me for?”

Myungjun fell to the pillow with a whine. He grabbed at Jinwoo’s body to pull him back down. “A few years, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Since I was eighteen.”

Jinwoo wondered how Myungjun had gone for so long without ever making a move. Of course, _he_ had gone far too long without making a move of his own. He wasn’t one to judge.

He laid back down and asked, “When did you decide you liked me?”

“I dunno.” Myungjun sighed and looked over at Jinwoo with a gaze full of adoration and love. “I think we went swimming one day and I realized you looked super hot without your shirt on, and that led to a lot of weird thoughts and fantasies, and then those fantasies sort of bubbled in my chest and became cuter. Like, first I was like, _yeah I would totally be fine getting super fucked by him_ , and then it became, _but also, I wanna marry him_.”

Jinwoo raised his eyebrows. “An interesting train of thought,” he commented.

WIth a small giggle, Myungjun nodded his head. “And I can’t believe you were a _virgin_ ,” he whispered, poking Jinwoo’s side and making him wince. “Seriously, you were super good, Jinnie. The best lay I’ve ever had.” He hummed as he nestled his head onto Jinwoo’s chest. “Might have to do with the fact that I’m seriously in love with you.”

Jinwoo grinned and hugged Myungjun close to him, but before he could say anything else, his door opened and Minhyuk stepped inside.

They all stared at each other. Minhyuk blinked, first in surprise and then in exasperation.

“Hey, Minhyuk,” Jinwoo greeted nervously. “Look, I’m so sorry about--”

“I called it,” Minhyuk said, and he gave a short, humorless laugh. “God, I knew you two would hook up at one point. I mean, I’ve never met two dudes so…” He gestured at them.

Myungjun looked unimpressed. “Hey, Minhyuk.”

Minhyuk didn’t acknowledge him. He set his bags down by his own bed, keeping his gaze averted, and said, “I’ll hang out in the library for a bit. Got some studying to do, anyway. Jinwoo, Myungjun, please cover yourselves within the next hour so I don’t have to walk in on you two naked again.”

Jinwoo blushed and nodded his head, trying to act as if Minhyuk’s words didn’t bother him. He wished he would be as nonchalant as Myungjun, who merely grinned cheerfully and waved Minhyuk goodbye. 

Once the door was closed, Myungjun pursed his lips and turned to Jinwoo.

“So,” he murmured, “an hour is _plenty_ of time to do one more round.”

Jinwoo considered his options. He was a little embarrassed to be found in such an intimate position, and he knew it would be rather crass to continue on their sexual escapade now that they had been found out.

But Myungjun was naked and delectable and Jinwoo wanted to ravish his lover as much as possible.

“Sure,” he agreed.

Myungjun grinned, and Jinwoo’s heart skipped a beat, as it always did when he remembered just how much he loved his best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> hit me up on my twitter page [@vonseal](https://twitter.com/thevonseal) for spoilers and general nonsense and even more birthday fics.
> 
> huge shout out to my girl [nagi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/InterstellarBlue) for taking the time to beta this for me (like she does with most of my fics and I always forget to give her credit bc i suck oops).
> 
> if you're reading this in january of 2021, be sure to take [THIS POLL!](https://forms.gle/AmAP8wqBmG7u8Aw27)


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